Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your background and your current role?
A: I was a student-athlete (tennis) from a semi-target school with no prior finance experience or banking internship. I was lucky enough to lateral into banking as an analyst at a NY BB after two years of post-grad, non-banking work experience.
Q: What are your overall thoughts on coaching? Have you ever taken on a coach in the past? Career coach in the past?
A: I’ve worked with coaches for most of my life due to my background in athletics. However, I’d never used a career coach. It wasn’t until I began recruiting that I saw the need for a coach to help me navigate the hurdles that kept tripping me up in interview processes.
Q: How did you hear about OfficeHours?
A: A friend of mine from another BB bank mentioned their interest in working with a buyside recruiting service and had seen OfficeHours on LinkedIn. I didn’t think working with a recruiting coach was worth the time or money so I quickly disregarded the idea.
Q: Did you look at other coaching platforms as well? What attracted you to OfficeHours?
A: Yes – I received a number of LinkedIn messages and emails from recruiting “coaches”, but didn’t come across anything that looked legitimate. The messages were auto-generated outreach attempts that detailed services that weren’t relevant to where I was in the recruiting process. OfficeHours was the first service provider to send a personalized email. I originally ignored their outreach, but ultimately decided to respond after receiving a follow-up message from one of the co-founders who offered a free introductory call. After doing some additional diligence and seeing their roster of qualified coaches, I figured it was at least worth a call.
Q: How was your coach chosen? What criteria was important for you when choosing a coach?
A: The OfficeHours team did a great job of taking the time to get to know me and my professional goals upfront. We had two or three calls before they ever mentioned pricing or coaching packages. This signaled to me that they were sincere in wanting to understand my development needs before making a recommendation. Once it came time to pair me with a coach, they knew that I was looking for someone who was going to challenge my understanding of certain technical concepts. They did a great job of pairing me with the right coach for the job.
Q: What specifically were some of your goals going into the OfficeHours sessions?
A: The ultimate goal was to land a buyside job offer. Finding a coach who had successfully navigated buyside recruiting and who could teach me the frame working tools necessary to excel in these processes was extremely helpful in accomplishing that goal.
Q: How do you think your coach was most useful?
A: The double-blind component of the coach/mentee relationship was key. Removing ego from the equation allowed me to ask the questions I was otherwise too embarrassed to ask. It helped me develop a dynamic understanding of technical concepts that were likely to be tested in interviews rather than relying on a surface-level understanding of concepts I had read about in online guides.
Q: What ended up being your outcome? Did you take an offer?
A: After approximately one month of working with OfficeHours, I landed a buyside offer at a firm that was an excellent personal and professional fit.
Q: Would you do it again?
A: Yes – I wish I did it sooner.
Q: Would you recommend taking on a coach to others?
A: Without a doubt. Everyone’s recruiting journey and learning style is different. OfficeHours tailors their approach to meet you where you are in your recruiting journey and gives you the tools necessary to be successful in accomplishing your goals.
Interested in learning more about OfficeHours and how a Career Coach can help you? Schedule a time to connect with a Coach here or Submit your Application directly here and we’ll be in touch!